LAHORE: The Punjab government’s partnership with NGO - ChildLife Foundation has resulted in the modernization of the children’s Emergency Room (ER) here at the Mayo Hospital, which is one of the largest public sector hospitals in the country.
ChildLife Foundation arranged a tour for Dr Munir Ahmed, Medical Superintendent of Mayo Hospital, along with Dr Bakhtiyawar, Assistant Medical Superintendent, and the media to the newly modernized 40-bed facility.
Dr Ahmed told media that not only the physicians but also the administrative staff in the ER is capable of responding to life-threatening cases appropriately and timely. “The accredited world-class health management practices followed by ChildLife Foundation in Mayo are saving Punjab’s children from dying of preventable and treatable illnesses,” he said, adding: “Provision of quality care sets ChildLife Foundation apart in the landscape of children’s emergency care in Pakistan.”
“ChildLife is set to replicate the unique telemedicine model throughout Punjab with certainty that it will be transformative for children’s survival and health, especially in the province’s rural areas,” said ChildLife’s Director Communications Ms Tabish Shahzad.
She said, “The children’s Emergency Room in Mayo became possible because of the Punjab government’s support. As ChildLife’s 11th project – and the first in the province of Punjab – it is projected to provide quality treatment to approximately 150,000 children every year.”
“Since its inauguration in February 2022, over 10,000 children have received quality emergency care completely free of cost at Mayo’s ER. Over 250 patients are treated here daily. The number is growing as news of the ER’s quality service is spreading across the city,” said Ms Shahzad. She also added that quality emergency care increases children’s survival rate exponentially – by as much as four times – as has been witnessed by the foundation over the last ten years.
As part of the modernization process, the existing infrastructure in the children’s ER in Mayo was upgraded. The ER is now equipped with WHO-recommended triage facilities and the latest medical equipment like cardiac monitors, phototherapy units, and infusion pumps. Qualified pharmacists operate the pharmacy 24/7, dispensing life-saving medicines free of cost. Furthermore, a team of over 100 people, including trained healthcare professionals, is available to run the ER round the clock alongside the government faculty.
It may be noted that ChildLife Foundation has been operational in Pakistan since 2011 and manages 11 children’s Emergency Rooms in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab in partnership with the government. It has so far treated four million children. Recently, ChildLife signed an agreement with PIMS, Islamabad, to modernize its children’s Emergency Room by August 2022.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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